Patents Examined by Jeffrey Gaffin
  • Patent number: 9639545
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for organizing, managing and sharing data files as pages of an online binder (“the technology”). In various embodiments, the technology stores multiple data files received in multiple formats from multiple sources as pages of the online binder. The pages of the online binder are of a common format. The common format allows the pages, that is, the data files corresponding to the pages, to be accessed using a variety of devices regardless of a platform of the devices. The online binder is platform agnostic. The technology provides tools to create notes for the pages of the online binder. The notes can include text annotations, drawings, or audio visual annotations, including a recording of the user actions as presented on the device of the user. The technology provides a collaboration service for sharing the online binder with multiple users asynchronously or in real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Moxtra, Inc.
    Inventors: He Huang, Subrah S. Iyar
  • Patent number: 9639174
    Abstract: When a user shakes a mobile device, such as a smart phone, new content is shown on the display of the mobile device. In one embodiment, the content depends on the page or location the user is currently on within the mobile app or mobile browser page and can depend also on the history or experience level of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: PAYPAL, INC.
    Inventors: Egan Schulz, Peter Chu, Max Edward Metral
  • Patent number: 9641524
    Abstract: A method of displaying content to a user within a managed space comprised of one or more touch-free interactive kiosks includes collecting user data about the user. In addition, the plurality of touch-free interactive kiosks are configured to uniquely identify users located at the kiosk. Based on the identified user, and collected user data associated with the user, content is selected to be displayed to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Sophatar, Inc.
    Inventor: Bart Decanne
  • Patent number: 9639238
    Abstract: Multiple operations can be determined based on different gestures received at a single control. An operation can be a selection or a de-selection (or activation and deactivation) of a feature (or tool) while another operation can be a configuration of a characteristic associated with the feature. The other operation can set a configuration of the characteristic associated with the feature such that upon re-activation of the feature, the configured characteristic may be persisted. Embodiments provide a UI control that can receive multiple types of gestures and determine an operation to perform based on the type of gesture. For instance, in response to receiving a gesture input at a single control, an application may cause a display panel on a GUI to be displayed. The panel configuration (e.g., size of the panel, size of objects in the panel) can be modified in response to receiving another gesture input at the control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Peter K. Wagner
  • Patent number: 9633335
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing a relationship with and information about a contact. An example includes a client device that can be used to manage and keep track of information about a contact's family.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Accompani, Inc.
    Inventors: Amy Chang, Twum Djin, Ryan Mcdonough, Jan M. Ruhl, Richard J. Walsh, IV
  • Patent number: 9633190
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing identification tests. In some embodiments, a system and a method are provided for generating and serving to a user an animated challenge graphic comprising a challenge character set whose appearance may change over time. In some embodiments, marketing content may be incorporated into a challenge message for use in an identification test. The marketing content may be accompanied by randomly selected content to increase a level of security of the identification test, hi some embodiments, a challenge message for use in an identification test may be provided based on information regarding a transaction for which the identification test is administered. For example, the transaction information may include a user identifier such as an IP address. In some embodiments, identification test results may be tracked and analyzed to identify a pattern of behavior associated with a user identifier. A score indicative of a level of trustworthiness may be computed for the user identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: NuData Security Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Everett Bailey
  • Patent number: 9632618
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for expanding the touch zones of graphical user interface (GUI) widgets. The coordinates of the screen location of the device (e.g., mobile device) where a GUI widget is displayed on the screen is captured in response to detecting the GUI widget being displayed on the screen. A list of objects, including GUI widgets, that are currently being displayed on the screen and corresponding screen location coordinates are obtained. A GUI widget is then identified from the list of objects by matching its screen location coordinates with the captured location coordinates. An algorithm to expand the touch zone (e.g., in a right-to-left alternation) of the GUI widget is then identified based on the type of widget (e.g., list) is the identified GUI widget. In this manner, the user is able to expand the touch zones of GUI widgets in an easy manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Curtiss J. Howard, Stephen J. Kenna, Dana L. Price
  • Patent number: 9632614
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for expanding the touch zones of graphical user interface (GUI) widgets. The coordinates of the screen location of the device (e.g., mobile device) where a GUI widget is displayed on the screen is captured in response to detecting the GUI widget being displayed on the screen. A list of objects, including GUI widgets, that are currently being displayed on the screen and corresponding screen location coordinates are obtained. A GUI widget is then identified from the list of objects by matching its screen location coordinates with the captured location coordinates. An algorithm to expand the touch zone (e.g., in a right-to-left alternation) of the GUI widget is then identified based on the type of widget (e.g., list) is the identified GUI widget. In this manner, the user is able to expand the touch zones of GUI widgets in an easy manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Curtiss J. Howard, Stephen J. Kenna, Dana L. Price
  • Patent number: 9626657
    Abstract: A system for clustering electronic calendar schedules in an event scheduling user interface displays the availability of invitee clusters that each include invitees with sufficiently similar availability during a target period. An invitee cluster list includes an invitee cluster entry for each invitee cluster, such that each invitee cluster entry displays the availability for all invitees contained in the corresponding cluster, as well as the number of invitees contained in the cluster. Invitees that do not belong to any cluster are listed as individual outlier entries, such that each outlier entry displays the availability for the corresponding outlier invitee and the invitee's name. The names of invitees contained in an invitee cluster are displayed in response to user selection of the cluster entry. A degree of similarity required for invitees to be clustered together, and/or a permitted total number of clusters, may be input from a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew L. Schirmer, Tolga Oral
  • Patent number: 9623337
    Abstract: A proximity threshold of an avatar is defined with respect to proximity to an artifact located within a virtual universe domain. Activity by the avatar within the virtual universe domain is tracked, with activity data generated from the tracking. The activity data is analyzed to determine proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold, and a report is generated from the analyzing, the report noting a determined proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold. In one aspect, the report is provided to a supervisory entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kulvir S. Bhogal, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover, James W. Seaman
  • Patent number: 9626159
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to automatically identifying web browsing tasks based on a web browsing interaction history. According to one embodiment of the invention, a web browsing interaction history of a user is analyzed to identify web browsing actions associated with web sites. Abstracted action sequences for the web browsing actions that are identified are generated, and action subsequences for the abstracted action sequences are generated. A similarity between each of the action subsequences is determined, and similar action subsequences are designated as a web browsing task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Jalal U. Mahmud
  • Patent number: 9626066
    Abstract: In embodiments of video playback analytics collection, an analytics script can be distributed to a client device along with video content that is requested by the client device. The analytics script is implemented to identify a type and/or version of a browser application that supports a video player session to playback the video content for viewing at the client device. The analytics script is also implemented to collect video playback data associated with the video content playback, detect an early end of the video player session before the playback of the video content is completed, and initiate communication of the video playback data to an analytics server. The analytics script can also initiate a timing delay to delay a browser navigation away from the video player session, where the timing delay is effective to allow communication of the video playback data to the analytics server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Viswanathan Swaminathan, Herman S. Sahota
  • Patent number: 9625998
    Abstract: An interaction method between wearable devices comprises: sending a detection signal from a first wearable device to detect a second wearable device according to a predetermined interaction rule used by the first wearable device and the second wearable device; sending a response signal to confirm the interaction from the second wearable device to the first wearable device according to the predetermined interaction rule after the second wearable device receives the detection signal; establishing an interaction communication between the first wearable device and the second wearable device after the first wearable device receives the response signal, interacting between the first wearable device and the second wearable device according to the predetermined interaction rule. The method of the present invention enhances the intelligence and social function of the wearable devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: INVENTEC APPLIANCES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tony Tsai, Xu-Dong Chen
  • Patent number: 9619115
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of visualizing a dataset is implemented on a computer having memory, one or more processors, and a display. The method includes: rendering multiple objects on the display in a tiled manner, wherein each object is a visualization of a respective set of fields of the dataset and there is no overlap between the objects; in response to detecting a first user instruction, switching the rendition of at least one of the objects from the tiled manner to a floating manner; in response to detecting a second user instruction, moving a first object to a location on top of a second object, wherein the location is determined by the second user instruction such that at least a portion of the second object is covered by the first object; and in response to detecting a third user instruction, updating both the first object and the second object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: TABLEAU SOFTWARE INC.
    Inventors: Jun Kim, Iain Heath, David Pace
  • Patent number: 9621710
    Abstract: A method for displaying menu items and a terminal for implementing the same are disclosed to improve user convenience. The terminal includes: a display unit; a controller for displaying arbitrary menu items on the display unit such that menu items at a particular position are differentiated from menu items at a different position, and a user input unit for selectively rearranging the position of the menu items by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jun-Serk Park, Moon-Ju Kim, Hye-Jin Ryu, Dong-Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 9615056
    Abstract: A video teleconferencing system which allows a mobile device to conduct teleconferences over fixed and mobile packet networks with end points with other mobile devices or a personal computer. The mobile device includes a user interface that displays a video image associated with a first participant. A selectable user interface element corresponding to a second participant video image may be displayed on the user interface and in response to selection of the selectable user interface element, a video image associated with the second participant may be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: OOVOO, LLC
    Inventors: Chang Feng, Asher Shiratzky, Eyal Elyashiv
  • Patent number: 9612708
    Abstract: A computer system, and underlying methodologies, provides a content management system including a page editor. The page editor provides authoring tools to allow not only a developer/designer, but also an end user, to design, create, edit, store, organize and/or publish content. Different levels of permissions may be assigned to different end users. Preferably, the page editor includes a graphical user interface (GUI), which is presented to the end user by the computer system via a client device. The GUI presents development tools to the user to allow the user to design, create, edit, store, organize and/or publish, dynamically generated content that is presented as part of existing applications or pages. Further, the content management system allows the user to expose the page editor, including the GUI and development tools, as part of the user(s) content and to adjust the content-generation experience presented to other users of the application or page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Benefitfocus.com, Inc.
    Inventor: John M. Lunsford
  • Patent number: 9614899
    Abstract: A system and method for managing website scripts includes operations which provide for user contributed website scripts for use by consumer users and computing systems providing services on their behalf. User contributed website scripts are used to periodically gather user data. Following receipt of a user contributed website script, validation operations are performed in order to ensure that the user contributed website script operates properly. Once an initial determination is made that the website script operates properly, award points are awarded to the contributing user, and contribution points are assigned. If performance of the user contributed website script fails after initial acceptance, the number of contribution points associated with the user contributed website script is reduced. If the number of contribution points associated with a user contributed website script falls below a predetermined threshold, the user contributed website script is rendered unavailable for use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventors: Marko Rukonic, Keith Anders Olson, Jessie Ann Haffey, Robert Cox
  • Patent number: 9606668
    Abstract: A user interface method is disclosed. The method includes detecting a touch and then determining a user interface mode when a touch is detected. The method further includes activating one or more GUI elements based on the user interface mode and in response to the detected touch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Hotelling, Brian Q. Huppi, Joshua A. Strickon, Duncan Robert Kerr, Bas Ording, Imran Chaudhri, Greg Christie, Jonathan P. Ive
  • Patent number: 9606694
    Abstract: Several computerized tools, methodologies and data structures, according to embodiments of the present invention, are disclosed for collecting data for UX research and development directed to a product, process, and system and for developing personas and scenarios from the data for designing and for measuring the effectiveness of the product, process, and/or systems for use by the personas or real people. The tools, methodologies and data structures may be used individually or in sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TandemSeven, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank J. Torbey, David W. Clark, Phil H. Goddard, Karl Steiner